Dear "A Little Homesick, a Little Hungry,"
I feel that desire to recognize the streets.
Recently I've been doing some thinking about the Third Space. It's this idea my friend Mikaela told me.
It goes like this. Where you grew up - that's your First Space. It's your "home". Now this may vary from person to person - and a lot of people at least nowadays don't even grow up in one place. I sure didn't. We moved a lot.
If you go to college, like a lot of us, college becomes your Second Space.
It's kind of funny with me and Mikaela because our experiences with our First and Second Spaces are completely opposite. My First Space, my "home", was nonexistent. We moved every couple years and I feel no kinship toward any of those places where I lived for two years at a time. I love my second space - my college. Even though my Second Space's literal space is merely a small room with my favorite books, my clothes, bedding, a guitar, and school things, to me it's better than my First Space, even though I don't know if I would call it home.
Like I said, for my friend Mikaela, it's the opposite. She grew up in Vermont. It's beautiful up there, I hear. From what I can discern, Vermont is just a pastoral wonderland full of wonderful, wholesome people, Ben and Jerry's, and outdoor goodness. Mikaela likes it, too. So her First Space was kind of definitely her home. Her Second Place, which is college is a place of coldness and fakeness to her.
The reason I bring this up is because it was Mikaela who told me about the Third Space.
For lucky people, their Third Space is the same as their First Space.
For unlucky people, they never find Third Space.
Especially these days. Lots of people move around. Third Space is where you choose to set down roots. It's a place all of your own.
None of the baggage of the First Space that you never chose.
Not as shallow or changing or small as the Second Space that will only be your home for a few years. Third Space.
Do you think that Portland will become your Third Space?
How much agency do you think we have in choosing Third Space?
Emily
I feel that desire to recognize the streets.
Recently I've been doing some thinking about the Third Space. It's this idea my friend Mikaela told me.
It goes like this. Where you grew up - that's your First Space. It's your "home". Now this may vary from person to person - and a lot of people at least nowadays don't even grow up in one place. I sure didn't. We moved a lot.
If you go to college, like a lot of us, college becomes your Second Space.
It's kind of funny with me and Mikaela because our experiences with our First and Second Spaces are completely opposite. My First Space, my "home", was nonexistent. We moved every couple years and I feel no kinship toward any of those places where I lived for two years at a time. I love my second space - my college. Even though my Second Space's literal space is merely a small room with my favorite books, my clothes, bedding, a guitar, and school things, to me it's better than my First Space, even though I don't know if I would call it home.
Like I said, for my friend Mikaela, it's the opposite. She grew up in Vermont. It's beautiful up there, I hear. From what I can discern, Vermont is just a pastoral wonderland full of wonderful, wholesome people, Ben and Jerry's, and outdoor goodness. Mikaela likes it, too. So her First Space was kind of definitely her home. Her Second Place, which is college is a place of coldness and fakeness to her.
The reason I bring this up is because it was Mikaela who told me about the Third Space.
For lucky people, their Third Space is the same as their First Space.
For unlucky people, they never find Third Space.
Especially these days. Lots of people move around. Third Space is where you choose to set down roots. It's a place all of your own.
None of the baggage of the First Space that you never chose.
Not as shallow or changing or small as the Second Space that will only be your home for a few years. Third Space.
Do you think that Portland will become your Third Space?
How much agency do you think we have in choosing Third Space?
Emily
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